Be Serious! Be Alert!

INTRO

Our phrase for Nehemiah is Builder. Nehemiah was obedient to God and cared about the conditions of his city, Jerusalem, and the people who lived there. He received permission to go to Judah and lead the work there to repair the city wall. Nehemiah 2:20 sums up what we’ve seen so far in chapters 1 and 2: “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start building.” After assessing the damage, Nehemiah led the people to begin the work on the wall (chapter 3). They began the work with the gates: the Sheep’s Gate (vv. 1-2), the Fish Gate (vv. 3-5), the Old City Gate (vv. 6-12), the Valley Gate (v. 13), the Dung Gate ( v. 14), the Fountain Gate (v. 15), the Water Gate (vv. 26-27), the Horse Gate (v. 28), the East Gate (vv. 29-30), the Inspection Gate or Miphkad Gate (v. 31), and back to the Sheep Gate (v. 32).

TEACHING

Nehemiah 4:1–6: Walking out God’s calling draws opposition (Hebrews 11:36). Sanballat became “furious” when he found out the work on the wall was taking place, and he mocked and ridiculed the Jews in front of his colleagues and the powerful men in Samaria. Sanballat called the Jews “pathetic,” made fun of their religious traditions, and questioned their ability to bring back to life the burned stones of the wall (vv. 1–2). Then Tobiah the Ammonite joined in with mocking the Jews efforts, saying any wall they built would not be strong enough to even hold the weight of a fox (v. 3). In response, Nehemiah prayed and asked God to turn all their threats back on them (vv. 4–5). The people continued to work on the wall despite the opposition they faced (v. 6).

Nehemiah 4:7–14: The threats and mocking of the enemies continued through the first seven chapters of Nehemiah. Sanballat and Tobiah brought others who were angry with the work on the walls—the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites (v. 7). They plotted together how they might overthrow Jerusalem (v. 8). In response, Nehemiah led the people in prayer and then stationed guards around the clock (v. 9). There was so much rubble and trash to clear away before the wall could be rebuilt that laborers were already frustrated and tired from their work (v. 10). The combined enemies tried to intimidate the Jews, telling them they would never know what had happened until they had already been defeated (v. 11). The Jews felt they were being attacked from all sides (v. 12). So Nehemiah sorted the people by family groups in those areas of the wall that were most vulnerable and armed them with swords, spears, and bows (v. 13). Then he challenged the people to not be afraid of their enemies because the Jews had the support of “the great and awe-inspiring Lord.” They were to fight for their countrymen, their families, and their homes (v. 14).

Nehemiah 4:15–23: Their enemies found out the Jews created a work schedule in which half the men worked, and the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and armor (v. 16). The laborers carried their loads of supplies with one hand while holding a weapon in the other while the builders each worked with their swords strapped at the waist (vv. 17–18). Nehemiah kept a trumpeter with him at all times since the work was so spread out. The trumpet sound would draw the workers to rally together to fight their enemies with God (vv. 19–20). The work continued from daybreak until dark, and all the workers stayed inside Jerusalem at night to be part of the city’s protection (vv. 21–22). Nehemiah and his workers never took off their clothes to rest but carried their weapons, even while washing (v. 23).

CLOSING

The people of Jerusalem faced significant opposition while they worked on the wall. They faced opposition by threat of death, by fear, by ridicule, and by intimidation. They survived it through prayer and persistence—by serving as watchmen. Dave Butts outlined the work of the watchman at https://www.harvestprayer.com/resources/personal-2/task-of-watchman and below is a summary:

1. Watchmen stand their posts with “an intensity that must be shared . . . day and night . . . never silent . . . give yourself no rest” (Isaiah 62:6–7).

Watchmen must stand their posts with their eyes open. That includes open spiritual eyes as well, which is done through prayer and being watchful to discern what God is doing (Matthew 26:40–41).

Watchmen must be aware of the actions of the enemy (2 Corinthians 2:11).

Watchmen must work to discern the needs of God’s people.

Be on guard for yourselves and for your teaching (Acts 20:28; 1 Tim 4:16). “Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (1 Peter 5:8).